Ida Leeson: A Life

Sylvia Martin is not just a researcher or biographer, but a storyteller of the highest order.

Ida Leeson: A Life introduces us to a woman who was no ordinary librarian. In 1932, Ida Leeson became the first woman appointed as Mitchell Librarian after a very public debate about whether it was appropriate to appoint a woman to such a senior position. Rising from a working-class background, she successfully penetrated the bourgeoisie to achieve prominence in what was still predominantly a man's world.

A diminutive, forceful, and vibrant woman, Ida resists any easy classification. In a period now acknowledged as a heroic era of Australian writing and publishing, Ida became a trailblazer for women and librarians and a champion of the lively literary culture in Australia during the 1930s and 1940s. She was friendly with many of the leading literary figures of the time, such as James McAuley, Christopher Brennan, Marjorie Barnard, Flora Eldershaw, and most notably, Miles Franklin, for whom she acted as an honorary proof-reader and literary advisor. Ida was also a close friend of Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, for a time living with her partner, Florence Birch, as part of the bohemian enclave the Griffins established at Castlecrag.

Brought to vivid life by Sylvia Martin, the story of Ida Leeson inspires a new generation of readers. Hers was a truly remarkable life in an intriguing era.